our Quality improvement program ,

Set a Plan to live with your Chronic Disease

Our Friendly team goals of effective COPD management are to:

  • Prevent COPD disease progression.
  • Relieve symptoms.
  • Improve health status.
  • Improve exercise tolerance
  • Prevent and treat exacerbations.
    Reduce mortality. Prevent and treat complications.

What is the Spirometry Test?

Asthma national Council

What is COPD ?

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is an umbrella term used to describe progressive lung diseases including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and (non-reversible) asthma. This disease is characterised by increasing breathlessness.

it is a progressive and incurable disease, but with the right diagnosis and treatment

Symptoms of COPD can be different for each person, but common symptoms are:

*Increased shortness of breath
* Frequent coughing (with and without mucus)
*Increased breathlessness
*Wheezing
*Tightness in the chest

It’s easy to think of shortness of breath and coughing as a normal part of aging, but these could be signs of COPD. That’s why it is important to talk with your healthcare provider as soon as you notice any of these symptoms. COPDcan progress for years without noticeable shortness of breath. Ask your healthcare provider about ordering a SPIROMETRY TEST

What is the Spirometry Test?

Spirometry is a simple, non-invasive test that is used to diagnose COPD. When you take the test, you will be asked to blow all the air out of your lungs into a mouthpiece connected to a machine known as a spirometer.

The machine will calculate two numbers: the amount of air you blow out in the first second, and the amount of air you blow out in 6 seconds or more.

These numbers are represented as FEV1 and FVC (sometimes FEV6 is used). FEV1 stands for the Forced Expiratory Volume in the first second—the amount of air you exhaled in the first second of blowing. FVC stands for Forced Vital Capacity—the amount of air that you exhaled in one entire breath.

A spirometry test can also show your doctor how severe your COPD may or may not be. There are several stages of COPD. The extent of your COPD is classified into 4 different stages that are defined by your symptoms and the results of your Spirometry Test. The stages do not determine how long you can expect to live, or in many cases how drastically your symptoms are affecting your quality of life. The stages are designed to help your physician in prescribing your treatment protocol. In order to determine what stage you are in, your pulmonologist, based on your symptoms, may administer one or more pulmonary tests.

People with COPD have an FEV1/FEV6 (FVC) ratio less than 70%. The FEV1 percentage predicted indicates how severe the airways are obstructed (blocked or narrowed).

Less than 80% of predicted is considered moderate COPD, and less than 50% of predicted is severe. People with asthma will have a low FEV1/FEV6 ratio when they are having an attack, and then will return to normal or almost normal after using fast-acting medications.

Your doctor may order additional tests to see if your symptoms are caused by lung disorders other than COPD. One is Bronchodilator Reversibility Testing, which determines if your lung function improves significantly with medication.

Your doctor may also order a chest x-ray or a chest CT (high resolution computed tomography), which shows your lungs in much greater detail, to see if your symptoms are brought on by other problems instead of COPD.

Who should get tested for COPD?

If you have any of these symptoms, you are at risk for developing COPD.

Anyone with the following should get tested:

  • Has a history of smoking
  • Has long-term exposure to air pollutants (including pollution and second-hand smoke)1
  • Has chronic coughing with or without sputum
  • Has wheezing
  • Has shortness of breath that has become worse over time
  • Cannot keep up with people of your own age

Why is it important to get tested?

Leaving symptoms Not diagnosed, untreated, may cause them to worsen faster than if they were treated with proper medication .

Providing a proper diagnosis means individuals will receive the right treatments and follow up monitoring. There’s no cure yet for COPD but treatments are available to help individuals live better.